


Shot Through The Heart

by chicka024, vampcoffeegyrl23



Series: OQ Prompt Party Week [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Cursed Characters, Cursed Hyperion Heights, Cursed Robin Hood, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Evil Queen | Regina Mills as Roni, F/M, Hyperion Heights, Miscarriage, OQ Prompt Party 2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-06 22:09:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14066658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chicka024/pseuds/chicka024, https://archiveofourown.org/users/vampcoffeegyrl23/pseuds/vampcoffeegyrl23
Summary: #OQPromptParty2018 Multi chapter story, covers several prompts - info about each in each chapter. There may be more to Roni's memories than Regina realizes, maybe even answers about someone both women have lost.





	1. Paranoid

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1: Day 4 (Thursday) of #OQPromptParty2018 Prompt #192 - Roni and Robin find one another in Hyperion Heights in their cursed identities. Then one day, the curse is broken and they wake up. (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 (Thursday) of #OQPromptParty2018 Prompt #192 - Roni and Robin find one another in Hyperion Heights in their cursed identities. Then one day, the curse is broken and they wake up. (Part 1)

 

Roni thought she knew a lot. Hell knows, she's been through enough in her life that she should. She knows that things aren't always what they seem at first. That life can throw a curveball when it's least expected. But this...this was just too much.

She's been at the bar since she closed and cleaned up studying the adoption papers Detective Weaver brought over like she had for her college midterm exams, disappointed that they don't seem to be faked or forged. Neither was the signature written out. It's not normally how Roni signed her own name (or her full name) but when she'd run her pen along the scrap piece of paper, her hands had had a mind of their own. It felt natural, as if second nature, like she'd been doing it every day of her life. It's the exact replica of the signature on bottom of the document, no doubt about that.

Nothing and everything was adding up at the same time, just like the photo she'd found of herself in far too modest clothing Roni despised. Never in her life would be found dressed in pantsuits or tightly fit pencil skirts. Not that she had anything against them. The woman in the photo Roni could only figure was a freak clone of herself looked rather lovely. Roni just preferred her jeans and overpriced band shirts, a hint of leopard print here and there and her floral patterned leather jacket. But that was the least of her concerns at the moment as she stared down at the young boy she swore she'd never once laid eyes on that stood The cherry on top was Henry stating the boy was him as a child, the woman in the photo being his adopted mother, or the mother he'd written for himself in his unfortunate unsuccess of a book.

The mother's name being the same one staring back at her in the dark lines of her own penmanship. Regina Mills. The name seemed so foreign and yet so familiar all at the same time.

Nothing made sense and Roni just wanted everything to go back to the way it was. She'd take her boring hell of a life over all of this mystery and confusion in a heartbeat. If she believed Lucy that their lives in Hyperion Heights were a curse (and she definitely didn't) then her whole life as Roni was a lie. Who could hate her - this Regina Mills - this much to curse her to a life as horrible as Roni's was? And worse yet - if her tragic life as Roni was a curse then Regina's life would have to be even worse.

Her life hadn't been easy, but it hadn't been all bad either. She wasn't always the day-drinking, beaten down, bar owner that she was now. Then again, her name hadn't always been Roni either. She pushed the adoption papers and the unexplainable photo across the bar, letting her head falling into her hands. There was a copy of her own upstairs, but just of an application. She'd never been handed the fancy official 'this is your kid' version. She'd been just a breath away from that - a child of her own. She got to be happy - twice - and after both times she was damaged beyond repair.

She used to be Veronica Daniels - but everyone called her Nikki. Nikki had her heart set on marrying Ben in college, a fellow student and the son of one of the janitorial staff. She met Ben freshman year and the two hit it off instantly. By the time they were both in their senior year, they were engaged with plans to move far away after graduation. Unfortunately that plan was derailed one morning she called him from class to pick her up because she wasn't feeling well. He had a freak heart attack on the drive back to their off-campus house and a semi crashed into them. She was knocked into a coma when her head slammed into the door of the car and she was out for weeks. She woke up to a shattered nightmare, learning that while she'd been out her fiance was killed instantly and she'd lost not only the daughter she didn't know she was carrying but also the ability to have anymore children.

She pushed everyone away, dropped out of of college, and fell off the wagon completely losing herself in booze and drugs and whatever else she could get her hands on. In a low moment, she met Seth who was a few years older than her. He promised her a good time, let her drink the memories away, and took care of her. She didn't know him well nor did he offer much about himself. They weren't even together long before they got married, eloping at the courthouse. Life with Seth was a constant party - until the party ended. Life was pretty horrible for a while - until she met Robbi. By then she was Roni Hart...but that was another story entirely.

The folded corner of a photo stuck out from behind the register across the bar, taunting her and causing her stomach to twist in knots. She tapped her fingers on the counter, her nerves causing her knee to bounce uncontrollably as she brought her hand up to bite the tip of her nail. Voices echoed in her ears - memories that were very much her own, not anyone else's. Certainly not Regina's. She squeezed her eyes shut, blinking back tears as the images played out in her mind.

* * *

" _I cannot believe you bought me a bar!" Roni wandered around the empty rooms of the building, her mouth still hung open in shock. His tie was still half-tied around her neck from being over her eyes as he led her inside to her surprise - which was that he'd bought her a bar for her birthday. Or rather, for them as they would open it up together._

" _Not much of a surprise, love, when we've already talked about it. Planned it out, in fact. Or do you not remember typing up that business plan together?" Robbi followed after her._

_She turned back to face him, raising an eyebrow. "Well yeah...but that was just a plan with a dream and fake numbers. This is a building!" She raised her voice and it echoed in the empty space._

" _Yes...and this is a bar." He drummed his hands on the dusty once-black bartop. His lips curled into a smirk, pointing across the room at a heap of wood. "Those are some chairs - though they would appear to just a little broken. Oh…" He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him, wrapping his arms around her. "I've caught myself a bartender - look at that!" He winked, swaying them gently as her lips pulled up and her eyes shone brightly at him. "Ah. There it is," he spoke gentle, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "There's that elusive but satisfying smile I think about every time I close my eyes"_

_Roni bit down on her bottom lip, fighting against the butterflies fluttering in her stomach and the unshed tears twinkling in her eyes. He drew his hand up to card through her long, dark locks and settle on the side of her neck. The longer she stared into that radiant smile of his, the more aware she became of the heat rising in her cheeks. A single tear ran loose and she shuddered as his thumb rose up to swipe it away before it even had a chance to fall. She laughed at that, shaking her head and forcing the rest of the tears to stay at bay. "Very funny, babe. I think you'll be the one tending the bar while I'm in the office doing paperwork." She playfully slapped him on the chest, pushing back and skipping across the floor._

" _As you wish." Robbi held his hand over his chest and leaned forward. "You know, I've always found the idea of a woman bossing me around very appealing." She rolled her eyes, wandering around behind the bar. She grazed her f_ _ingers over the sink, placing her palms down the counter imagining herself in action. She glanced up briefly and caught sight of blue eyes and that damned beautiful smile_   _that made her stomach flip in delight as he watched her curiously from where he leaned against a post. Her eyes fell, aware at how miserably she was failing at hiding her red tinted cheeks._

_Her gaze lifted again and roames around the room. The place was rundown and needed a lot of repairs, but it was spacious (yet somehow very intimate) with tall arched windows and tons of places for seating. High tables and bo_ _oths, couches and arm charms could be easily scattered about with room to spare. To the left of the bar was a raised platform, a wood_   _fireplace made of a ash grey stone placed upon it_ _,_ _marking a perfect place for a lounge area. Four massive brick pillars ran from floor to ceiling and stood like soldier_ _'s_ _in a line across the middle of the room._

_She_   _envisioned the room filled with patrons, loud chatter and clinking of glasses, roars of laughter echoing off the walls. Whispered secrets and love sick couples._

_Her caught sight of the dark iron spiral staircase that ran up towards a small landing and tilted her head to side._

" _And what's up there?" Roni's eyes met blue for a moment before stepp_ _ing out from behind the bar for a better look. She crossed her arms over her chest,_   _glancing back at Robbi curious_ _ly._

" _Well…" Robbie stepped away from the pillar and cl_ _osed the distance between them,_   _grabbed hold of the railing and smacked his lips together. "We're building a business down here in the bar...what would you say to building our life together up there?" Roni opened her mouth, her brows crinkling as she looked to the upper level. Robbi chuckled. "An apartment, love. Quite spacious. Room to grow if we wish, more walls and such."_

" _You mean like live together?" Roni's eyes widened as they met with his sparkling b_ _lues again._

" _Precisely." Robbi confirmed._

" _So full of surprises today, babe." Roni ascended a few of the stairs, her head craning to peak up at the apartment._

" _Oh just you wait." His eyes twinkled._

_She scanned him up and down, one of her brows arching on her forehead. "I've got my eye on you, Robbi Lockwood. You are…" She paused as he stepped over a steps to the right, glancing past him. "No you are definitely up to something."_

" _What if you'll like what I'm up to, Miss Roni?" He shrugged._

" _I'll be the judge of that." She tried to look past him but he moved again. "There's something out there, isn't there?"_

_He stepped aside, holding his hands out. Her cheeks were tinged red as she hopped off the stairs, strolling past him with an excited grin. She could feel his eyes on her as she slowly moseyed her way across the floor. She took in the sight of a door and a soft gasp escaped her lips, gazing through the glass._

" _Ahh...I see you've found the courtyard." She heard Robbi chortle behind her and turned around, delight filling her from head to toe. "Thought you'd enjoy that, milady. We do enjoy our picnics, don't we." She stood frozen staring at him, stunned. "Well go on, have a look around." He scooted her further out onto the patio, following after her._

_She twirled around, taking in the sight in front of her. "Robbi, it's beautiful. Can we even afford this? Can we open this bar?" She continued to wander around the small yard, thinking of party potential. People could rent out the space for parties and gatherings, reunions and all sorts of things - or just have lunch out in the sunshine._

" _Waking up to that smile everyday makes it all work it." Robbi spoke from behind her. "We can build something here - more than just a bar. People will come from miles just for you food alone! And who knows, if it takes off - maybe we can expand."_

_Her insides flipped, distant memories plaguing her happiness. "Wait, Robbi there's something we need to talk about-" She froze as she turned around, her mouth hanging open at the sight of the man she loved bent down to the ground staring up at her holding open a velvet box._

" _Roni, I love you with everything I have. Will you marry me?"_

* * *

Roni's lungs seized as she stared down at the old photo of Robbi, the Boston adoption papers and strange photo of the boy and the woman that looked like her in her peripheral vision across the bar. She raised her hand to feel through the fabric of her tank top for the chain she always kept hidden under her clothes. She thumbed the hard metal of ring over under the fabric, closing her eyes as the tears started to well up.

She truly didn't know what think any more, if Roni or Regina was real. It was that old grass is always greener scenario...Regina's life could be better or worse. But either way, right now Roni was stuck where she was with the mysteries that were plaguing the town and the ghosts that not only haunted her heart but the very bar she was planted on.

Her hand dropped from the ring, picking at the tie she kept around her wrist - Robbi's tie that he used to cover his eyes the day he brought her to this bar. Her phone buzzed where it was on the bar near the papers - a phone call from Henry. She dismissed the call, swallowing the familial pinkprick in her chest that kept telling her Henry meant more to her than just a new partner in crime in taking down Victoria Belfrey.

She heard the door open, scrambling to cover up everything she had on the bar. She turned to find Ivy Belfrey walking toward her, mumbling something under her breath. Roni released a tired breath, knowing her night was about to get a lot more stressful than it already was.

To Be Continued...


	2. Crossfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 5 (friday) of #OQPromptParty2018 Prompt #193 - Queeny and Locksley bring Robin back for Regina. (Part 2 of Paranoid)

**Crossfire**

_Roni stared down at Robbi, jaw still locked open in shock. Her eyes focused on the ring that glinted from the box he held in his hand as he waited on one knee. Robbi’s expression was waning from hopeful to worried in front of her but Roni’s thoughts were too lost in that dark void of her past where she kept Seth locked up. Soon enough Robbi stood in front of her, pulling on her arms and asking if she was okay. His words were muffled as a ringing started in Roni’s ears. Robbi guided her over to one of the patio chairs in the corner telling her to breathe._

 

_“I need to tell you something…” Roni’s eyes leveled with his and his face paled as he sat down on the chair beside her. His hand reached out to clasp over hers and she let out a deep breath. She let her head drop, unable to hold his focus. He squeezed her hand and she let it all come flying out. She told him of her past, who she really was. Losing Ben, their baby, and her inability to create another child leading into spiraling herself to grief and depression._

 

_Robbi alternated between rubbing her shoulders, holding her hands, and wrapping his arms around her. When she got to her disastrous marriage with Seth, she’d felt Robbi tense at her words. How in the beginning Seth was fun and sweet, always ready to party. But he changed, went unhinged. Started to hit her, then beat her,force himself on her and claim it was all her fault. It took a few years but she finally managed to escape that small town in Maine with only fifty dollars to her name. She sought refuge in Hyperion Heights, a urban big city being a harder place to trace someone down in, and shortened her name to Roni. Robbi relaxed some then, but they both knew Seth was still out in the wind. Robbi swore he was never allow a single hair to be harmed on her head again and by the end of it, he was all but holding Roni on his lap._

 

_Roni had expected him to be angry or to take the ring and run but this…this comfort and warm he showered her with caused her heart to constrict and fluttered all at once. Robbi pressed a kiss to her temple whispering how much he loved her. She melted into his arms, finally giving in to tears she’s been fighting to wrestle back. Robbi pulled her to her feet, guiding her across the floor. He stepped back and forth, to and fro, until soon enough the two of them were dancing. He dropped his hand to rest at the small of her back, the other entwined with hers above their heads._

 

_Robbi leaned his head next to her ear, humming the melody of the song they first danced to. The hair on her arms stood on end as he sang in soft whispered tones in her ear. “Oh girl, you stand by me. I'm forever yours... faithfully.” A chill ran through Roni’s spin as her stomach flipped, leaning in to catch his lips with her own. “Do you remember that first night together, in that old seedy tavern you used to bartend in?” he asked against another soft kiss, pulling away just enough to meet her eyes._

 

_Roni relaxed into his hold, laying her head on his chest. She could hear the melody of the song that played through the jukebox of that tavern in her head. Roni wouldn't call herself a hopeless romantic but Faithfully by Journey had always been a favourite of hers even before Robbi insisted she allow him to one dance. A song about distant lovers who fought for their love, who were each others whole heart and soul who matter where in the world they found themselves. Discovering each other all over again when the miles closed between them. It was beautiful and small part of her had always longed to be loved the way the lyrics spoke of._

 

_Then she'd met Robbi after a lifetime of heartache. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath as she heard their voices from that night in her head:_

 

**_“Roni. Short for anything?”_ **

 

**_“No. Just Roni.”_ **

 

**_“Well, ‘just Roni’. I’m Robbi. Just...Robbi.”_ **

 

_Roni wasn't someone who believed in love at first sight. She found him intensely attractive, slept with him with full intend to ditch him the next morning as she did others most nights. She woke up the next morning to find him hunched over in the corner of her apartment whispering loudly into the phone, to his young son who lived overseas she’d found out later. He made her breakfast and they talked for hours.He told her stories of his life. Most of which was utterly painful and filled with loss and loneliness (much like her own). She did have a good chuckle when he explained the dark lion chest tattoo on his forearm. He'd lost a bet, one he prefered not to admit to despite her begging and pleading for him to tell her, and his best mate took him to a tattoo shop and picked out the first design he saw._

 

_She'd have laughed about it harder had Robbi not already seen the lyrical tattoo embedded above her right breast. A decision made after far too many shots of vodka. Not her proudest moment, though she couldn't deny that Def Leppard's “Pour Some Sugar On Me” was one of the best songs ever written. Robbi however agreed to disagree. Though he continued to tease her about to this day._

 

_More hours had passed and Roni couldn't believe that they were practically strangers and yet somehow he knew her better than she knew herself. By the end of the night, after a passionate session of lazy love making, she knew she’d already fallen hard for him. He healed her scars with words of love, gently creases along her bare skin and soft kisses that stitched the bleeding pain in her heart. From then on, they were inseparable and she started to believe that perhaps fairytales weren't always just stories._

 

_She told him of her dream to own her own bar which he’d jumped on board with instantly. Now here they were, standing in the courtyard of what would be her own bar with the man who wanted to share his future with her. Not that it made any sense to her at all, but Roni felt as if she’s loved him in a whole other life and was just lucky enough to have been given the chance to love him again._

 

_“We should adopt.” His words send a strangled cry from her lips, her eyes shining with tears._

 

_“Really?” Roni's voice was small. “You would want to do that?”_

 

_He reached into the pocket of his jean pulling out his cellphone. “A child is a child and it'll be our child regardless of whose DNA runs through its veins.”_

 

_“You still want to get married? Adopt a baby after the secrets I've kept?”_

 

_Robbi rested his forehead against hers, pressing a kiss to the top of her nose that sent a shiver down her spine. "As far as I’m concerned, you’re still the same woman I fell in love with - who I want to spend my life with. So my love... Yes or no?"_

 

_Roni opened her mouth to answer, but the sound of shouting and the door slamming open startled her. Robbi tightened his hold around her. And then her eyes caught sight of the figure behind Robbi and Roni screamed as she hid her face into Robbi’s chest._

 

_“Told you I’d find you, bitch!”_

 

_“Get out, Seth!” Roni hissed though her tone was filled with terror. How the hell did he find her!?_

 

_Robbi stepped in front of her, holding his hand out to shield her. He looked back and forth between Roni and Seth, cursing. “This is Seth!?” He glanced back at Roni, who whimpered. He shook his head, rolling his eyes._

_“Yeah, Lockwood - sleeping with my girl. Once a thief, always a thief.” Seth spat._

 

_“You know him?” Roni’s mouth hung open in shock, staring at Robbi._

 

_Robbi’s lip curled in disgust. “Don’t remind me. Shared a cell with this piece of garbage for over a year when I got nabbed for petty theft. Figures you’re the spineless bastard who doesn’t know how to treat a woman.”_

 

_“She’s my wife, I’ll do whatever the hell I want!” Seth swiftly reached in his belt and pulled out a gun, aiming it right for Roni._

 

_“Doesn’t give you the right!” Robbi snarled. “Now put it away. See? He’s no knight in shining armor, isn’t that right? He’s too much of a coward to own up to how worthless he is!”_

 

_“Shut your mouth, Lockwood!” Seth roared, retraining his aim on Robbi. Seth’s feet shuffled closer and Roni trembled as she sobbed, trying to pull Robbi away._

 

_“Robbi, don’t!” Roni clung tightly to his bicep, tears streaming down her face._

 

_“Get back, love - I won’t let him hurt you!” Robbi nudged her backward, rotating his body to cover her more.“Back away now, Seth.” Robbi pointed his finger toward the door._

 

_“Screw you, asshole!”_

 

_Robbi slowly stepped forward, still holding his arm out to block Roni. “Just give me the gun, mate. Do you really want to go away for murder this time? You’ll never get out.”_

 

_“Don’t move!” Seth warned, still holding the gun out - Robbi froze and Roni held her breath realizing Robbi was closer to Seth now than her. ”Damnit, Roni - why do you make me do this? Do you want me to kill your loverboy? Cuz I will! I swear!”_

 

_A shot rang out and Roni’s eyes shut on instinct as she jumped. Someone shouted and she her eyes shot opened again, her hand over her mouth at the sight of the two men fist fighting and toppling over broken tables and chairs. ”Nooo!!”_

 

_“Run, my love! Call 911!” Robbi grunted, clawing at Seth to hold him back. Roni eyed her purse on the top of the dirty bar, her feet twitching as she started toward it._

 

_“I said don't move!” Seth aimed the gun high in the air above her._

 

_“Roni, no!” Robbi let go of the other man and lunged for her as two more shots rang out and both men fell to the floor, covered in blood._

 

_“Robbi!!”_

 

**_***_ **

 

Regina was glued to the street side bench, sitting with her hand firmly grasped in Henry’s, transfixed in her adult son’s eyes. Her memories had been back for all of less than a hour and she was already shattering to pieces under the weight of them. Now she had both Regina’s and Roni’s memories floating around in her head, all of them as painful as the next. She supposed that's what she deserved, to feel what it was like to live with two worlds in your head. Roni’s memories were all a lie, a complete fabrication created by the curse. But still, Regina could swear they were real. She could feel it all as if it actually happened, and not just because Roni's life seemed to coincidently mimic her own. Roni's mother, Vivian, was just as belittling and controlling as Cora had been, down to the last detail. Roni had been really close to her father Marcus as well, at least for the first eight years of her life before he died. After that she was alone with her mother, and Vivian’s cruelty only grew.

 

Those short years Roni had with Ben had been a dream compared to the rest, just like the hours Regina had spent with Daniel and their horses. She knew now that Ben was Roni’s Daniel though Regina doesn’t recognize Roni’s first husband Seth as anyone she’d ever met - sort of.It was odd though, with Seth. Almost...almost like she didn't recognize his face but with every snide comment, physical assault and beating, and controlling motive…. It was ludicrous but it was almost like Seth had been a manifestation of her troubles with Leopold, Sydney, and Graham all in one.

 

It’s those new scars (both physical and emotional) she’s not looking forward to carrying for the rest of her life. She feels solace, though, knowing that every whip and lash she’d suffered at Seth’s hands was payment for the lives she ruined and stole in the her worst days as the Evil Queen.

 

It’s Roni’s memories that hurt the most. She can vividly feel the ache she felt in her chest when Roni woke up from the coma from the same accident that stole both her fiance and unborn daughter from her. The failure and devastation in mind numbing sobs Roni choked out when the doctor told her she would never be able to conceive or carry a child to term the rest of her life, her reproductive organs damaged in the accident that killed her baby. The years and years Roni spent mourning them, Ben and the baby - and the first night she passed out high and blitz-drunk trying to forget. Regina had sabotaged her own fertility for the wrong reasons but Roni’s had been taken away completely. And when she’d found Robbi, Regina remembered the nights Roni was curled up in a ball in the bathroom floor bawling her eyes out because she couldn't give him the family he deserved. The relief Roni had felt when Robbi suggested adoption still gave Regina goosebumps, though it would always remind her of Roni's devastation  when she tried to adopt a child on her own and was rejected.

 

Regina’s adoption of Henry had been pretty much guaranteed with the strings Gold pulled and she thanks those strings every day. She looked over to Henry who stared off into the distance and the she could see the pain in his face. Her son believed he grew up alone and unwanted and it gutted her. She wanted to break the curse if only just to end his suffering but she knew the cost of that would be his death.

 

It was honorable how Roni had opened the bar herself the way they’d planned after Robbi died - putting arrows up everywhere in his honor. Roni was a lot stronger in the face of her soulmate’s death than Regina had been losing her Robin. Roni never let it tear her down, never held back. The woman cut her hair for a fresh start, took on her best friend Kelly as a partner, and became the busiest lady in all of Hyperion Heights. Roni dealt with her pain via tequila and men, jumping in bed with someone new way too much - yet another curse habit Regina wasn't interested in continuing...if she could get  control of Roni’s wandering libido.

 

Regina knew the behavior was a direct result of Roni’s trauma. That even though Roni and Robbi weren't real, Regina just knew how much Roni had loved Robbi because it had been how she had loved Robin. She can still see Roni and Robbi dancing in the courtyard, reminiscing about how they first met. With her memories back in full force, Regina could honestly say she wasn't at all a fan of the music Roni had subjected her eardrums too in the last few years, but she couldn't deny that she simply adored the song Robbi had hummed to Roni the night he proposed. It gave her hope, that love could make it. And she wished nothing more that she'd been the lucky one to have the man she loved down on one knee asking her to be his...faithfully and forever.

 

Regina didn't have those kinds of memories with Robin, not really. Their time together was always interrupted by villains or curses or her sister… Even their dancing fun in Camelot had been cut short by an attack. Other than the night of Robbi’s death, he and Roni had three years together as opposed to the barely over a year that Regina had gotten with Robin. Roni and Robbi weren't even real and Regina was jealous of their fake doomed relationship.

 

Regina’s eyes widened as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks - _Robbi wasn't real._ That meant that Robin - her real and very much alive Robin - had never been in Hyperion Heights at all. Robin hadn’t been swept up in the curse at all - he was still out there somewhere, in some other realm. Probably held by the one who brought him back from the dead.

 

That damned voodoo drama witch doctor and his theatrics!

 

Memories came flooding back to her once again. Shortly after Lucy's birth, her other half and Robin of Locksley had paid a visit to Tiana’s castle, anxious to meet the newest princess born only a few days before. Regina only felt it was fair, Henry was just as much The Queen’s son as he was her own and her other half deserved to meet her granddaughter. What she hadn't expected was the Queen informing her that she also had other plans for her visit. She came bearing news of an attempt to bring the real Robin - her Robin - back to her. Roland had come with them, the boy now an adolescent, still a mop of curls on his head. She hadn't expected the intense wave of emotion that hit her seeing her little Knight again, all grown up. He was starting to look just like his father and that hit deep, especially when she heard the teen’s accent. She’d nearly doubled over from the force of it hitting her ears, shooting straight to her heart.

 

The biggest surprise of all had been the other child with them, a year old little girl. The Queen and Robin announced that her name was Willow, and she was their daughter. Regina’s first thought was that they’d adopted her or found her or something. The more she studied the child, though, the more she realized how much she looked like both of her parents. Regina’s heart had flipped and she’d locked eyes with her other half, both of them tearing up. The Queen explained that they found Lake Nostos still flowing in the Wish Realm, its restorative properties fully intact and they took some for emergencies for their journeys. When the royal soldiers attacked them and the Queen’s side was pierced by a sword, the magical water she drank healed more than just her wound. They realized it reversed her fertility curse months later when she began to feel ill and she could feel the baby’s magic within her.

 

Regina had absolutely adored her new little niece. Willow had been so smiley and happy and just loved to be held. Regina conjured a little white stuffed bunny for her and Willow latched onto it right away.  She hadn't quite mastered the art of walking on her on at the time though she had crawled like a champ, always eager to be on the move. She had been able to walk if someone held on to her hands or if she was hanging on to something. Shortly before the little family left though, Willow let go of her mommy’s hands and walked a few wobble steps on her own, headed straight for Regina who held her arms out in wait, encouraging her with a wide smile before the toddle clasped into her arms. Willow’s first steps - reserved for her auntie Regina.

 

That had been before the curse was cast. Now they were years into the curse, with no end in sight. She really wasn't even sure exactly how long they’ve been in Hyperion Heights, all the different timelines in her head conflicting with each other. Her best guess would be about two or threes year which… would make Willow almost four now. Regina’s already missed out on so much in her younger niece’s life.

 

Regina looked up at Henry again, smiling nervously. Her stomach dropped as she realized she’s missing out on her life too. Another curse taking years away….so many… She’d be well into her hundreds by the time this curse ended. Just the idea of it had her feeling exhausted.

 

She just missed being around her family, all of them - and when they actually knew who she was. Her son and both her nieces and her granddaughter were the most precious people in her life yet three of them had no idea who she was. One had been far too young to remember her. She needed to break this curse soon before all of them lost more of their lives to it.

Before they left Tiana's castle, the Queen took Regina aside and told her of her deal with their old friend (or rather lover though Regina prefered not to remember those specific details) Dr. Facilier. Her old locket necklace (with a lock of her hair of course) in exchange to bring Robin back. He did indeed bring Robin back, but broke his deal with the Queen and also demanded an extra fee from Robin himself. The Queen explained that Facilier sent Robin away, and though she searched everywhere, she couldn't find him.

 

With a heavy heart, Regina told her how he did the same thing to Tiana and Naveen. They both knew he’d never give up a soul. She thanked her other half for her actions and sent the Queen, Roland, and Locksley back to their realm so they would be safe. After that, Regina searched for Robin herself but to no avail. Soon enough they learned of Henry’s poisoning and Regina was forced to once again enact the dark curse.

 

Roni’s memories were overactive, overwhelmed by the new knowledge of magic and her connection to the young man sitting across from her. Regina was screaming inside, desperate to unleash hell for this cruel torture.

 

Knowing her son was saved by her decision to enact the curse but also knowing Robin could be out there somewhere with different memories was causing a war in the pit of her stomach. She remembered now that Roni’s lost love Robbi was indeed Robin and she’d had the sincerest torture of watching him die in front of her all over again.

 

A part of her couldn’t reconcile Roni’s memory of his death. It hasn't been real, it couldn’t be. And yet she remembered the funeral she’d held for Robbi, smaller than Robin’s (it was just her and Kelly, her cursed sister Zelena, and her daughter there as Robbi had no family but a son he was kept from) but just as brutal. Even still, Robin could be out there somewhere, with cursed memories like she had Roni’s. With the curse still holding, she had no idea of knowing where he was and she couldn’t break the curse and make a martyr of her own son.

 

Her boy...who wasn’t such a boy anymore but a father himself with a beautiful little girl. Regina wasn’t ever going to allow her granddaughter to lose her father, but she also owed it to Roland and young Robyn to find their father as well. Neither of which she could do with Drizella, Gothel, and Lady Tremaine sniffing after her - and she suspected it wouldn’t be long before Facilier showed his face either.

 

She had no idea how she was going to fix any of this, but she knew she had to try.

Over a month later she was still no closer to figuring out how to break the curse without hurting Henry. Nor had she found any trace of Robin or Robbi in Hyperion Heights. She had Zelena awake and back in her life, but she still had yet to tell anyone about Robin. The enemies were closing in and she was running out of time and ammo, every day that Henry and Ella got closer to each other and breaking that curse with True Love’s Kiss.

Facilier had indeed showed up - presenting himself as the cursed Samedi. Regina wanted to punch him on the spot but held herself back. What she needed from him was answers - and she knew she was only going to get those by seducing them out of the witch doctor. She hadn’t gotten much out of him yet, but she wouldn’t give up.

 

She revealed her ‘awake’ status to her granddaughter, finally caving in to Lucy’s infectious hope speeches that both inspired and annoyed Regina to no end. It reminded her of the girl’s great-grandmother Snow, who Regina missed just as dearly as the rest of her family back in Storybrooke. Lucy was also much like her father in her sense of spirit, one which Regina both worried about and applauded.

 

Roni’s memories continued to haunt her daily no matter how much she pushed them down. Watching the loved ones of her life die in new and horrible ways was especially excruciating, like a nightmare that wouldn’t stay in the dark.

 

After a particularly taxing night at the bar, Regina walked along the sidewalk, rubbing her arms to ward from the Seattle chill. She really had to get out of reverting to Roni’s tank top habit - it was much too cold.

 

Everything was just falling apart and she just didn’t know what to do anymore. Everyday revealed another threat to her family and Regina just couldn't keep up with it anymore. As horrible as Roni’s life had been, there were days Regina would rather go back to only being Roni.

 

She was terrified she wasn't going to be able to save her son and the thought of losing him paralyzed her. She’d lost so much already, she couldn't lose Henry too.

 

There was the matter of finding Robin as well...if he was even in Hyperion Heights. If he wasn't, well...Regina didn’t have the slightest clue where to even begin looking. If Roni’s memories of Robbi were just that, memories, then Robin may have never been in this realm at all. She was running out of time and options - especially without a single access to any kind of magic. She shivered, the momentary thought that if her cursed memories had been real that would mean Robin really was taken from her again. She couldn't handle that either any more than losing Henry.

 

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling completely defeated. She just wanted her Henry and Robin back, wanted to stop this hollow ache within her chest that made it feel like she was dying inside. She just...she wanted it all to stop.

 

A flash of gold light enveloped the city around her and she felt lightheaded for a moment, realizing she could feel her magic flood through her again. Her skin grew warm and panic flooded her system - Henry!

 

Her hand shot up to fiddle with Roni’s ring still around her neck. Her eyes scanned the area as her heart pounded in her chest. The curse was broken, the flash of light had proved that. How or why Regina wasn't sure, her only concern was finding Henry and making sure he was okay.

 

“Regina!”

She froze on the spot, her brow twitching at the sound of _her_ name and not Roni’s as her ears began to ring.

She would know that voice anywhere. She's heard it a million times in her dreams. That beautiful soft accent that used to make her melt and weak in the knees, now sending sharp daggers into her chest and causing her heart to stop dead in its tracks.

 

She was dreaming, of course she was dreaming. There's no way she was hearing that voice. She didn't remember falling asleep, let alone outside where she had just been walking but Roni had spent many a nights curled up on benches after far too many shots at the bar.

 

 _Those are lies_ , the voice in her head whispers. Not once had she slept one a street even as her cursed persona. So if she wasn't dreaming….

 

Regina felt her hand being pulled away from her side and folded into the warmth of another, sparks flooding her system and butterflies fluttering about her stomach. She kept her eyes shut tight for a moment, feeling a warm breath blew gently by her ears as that beautiful voice filled the air around her once again.

 

And as if a magnetic force took over, Regina could do nothing else but turn her gaze to soak in the sight of baby blues she'd worked so hard to let go of causing the stitching in her heart to pop open and bleed once again.  
  
To Be Continued…


End file.
